Medical Coding Specialist
Salary

Women comprise the majority of Medical Coding Specialists in the United States. Individuals in this line of work make around $16.04 per hour on average. Compensation ranges from $11.52 per hour on the lower end to $22.30 on the higher end. A large number report receiving medical coverage from their employers and the greater part collect dental insurance. Most Medical Coding Specialists like their work and job satisfaction is high. The data for this snapshot was collected from individuals who took PayScale's salary survey.

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

XTotal Pay combines base annual salary or hourly wage, bonuses, profit sharing, tips, commissions, overtime pay and other forms of cash earnings, as applicable for this job. It does not include equity (stock) compensation, cash value of retirement benefits, or the value of other non-cash benefits (e.g. healthcare).

Job Description for Medical Coding Specialist

A medical coding specialist is an integral part of any medical team, and is responsible for turning doctors' work and diagnoses into real money using a specialized set of codes representing procedures, diagnoses, and other aspects of medical care. Then, they submit what they have coded to either private insurance companies, or Medicare/Medicaid. The medical coding specialist's performance correlates directly with the compensation the doctor receives.

Prior experience with medical coding, including familiarity with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD) code, is often required for this position. These specialists are expected to stay up-to-date on the new ICD-10 and how it affects coding and should also be skilled in interpretation to translate a doctor's work into coding.

These specialists are employed primarily by: private doctors' offices, where they assist in caring for patients either part-time or full-time during regular business hours; and hospitals, in which they may code for all doctors employed in the hospital and hours and shifts may vary greatly.

Common Career Paths for Medical Coding Specialist

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Medical Coding Specialists who transition into an upper level Medical Records Coder position will not necessarily make much more than they do in their current role. The average Medical Records Coder makes $33K a year.

Medical Coding Specialist Job Listings

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This chart shows the most popular skills for this job and what effect each skill has on pay.

Medical Coding Specialists report a narrow range of specific skills. Billing and Medical Coding are considered valuable skills and can increase employee pay by 15 percent and 8 percent, respectively.

Pay by Experience Level for Medical Coding Specialist

Median of all compensation (including tips, bonus, and overtime) by years of experience.

For many Medical Coding Specialists, experience and pay levels seem to be correlated; more years in the business generally lead to more money. Those in the early stages of their career can expect to make around $32K; however, individuals with five to 10 years of experience bring in $43K on average — a distinctly larger sum. After working for 10 to 20 years, Medical Coding Specialists make a median salary of $44K. More than 20 years of experience seem related to solid financial gains; veterans in this group report earning a median of $49K.